Nozzle height adjusting mechanism for vacuum cleaners



April 15, 1952 E. P. TURNER 2,592,767

NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR VACUUM ACLEANERS Filed sept. s, 1.948

Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Edgar P. Turner, Fanwood, N. J., assigner to The Singer Manufacturing Company,

Elizabeth,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to ambulatory type vacuum cleaners and more particularly to a nozzle height adjusting mechanism for such a cleaner, whereby a single vacuum cleaner can be used for cleaning a floor regardless of whether the floor is covered with a rug having a thick or a relatively thin pile.

It is well known that the weight of a vacuum cleaner, when operating on a thick pile rug, causes the wheels of the cleaner to sink into the rug. On the other hand, it is known that the wheels of the same vacuum cleaner will not sink an appreciable distance into a rug of average standard thickness. Unless some form of compensating mechanism is provided for adjusting the relative distance between the bottom of the wheels and the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner, the height of the nozzle above the surface being cleaned will be a variable, depending on whether the vacuum cleaner is used on a thick pile rug or on a rug of standard thickness. This problem has been recognized and many mechanisms have been devised to remedy the difficulty. One such mechanism, is disclosed in the expired Brachhausen Patent No. 1,405,095, wherein a pair of front wheels are rotatably carried on a front axle which is supported from the frame of the vacuum cleaners by off-set eccentric members secured to the axle. The Brachhausen patent also provides means located on the lower side of the cleaner by which the front axles can be restrained from rotational movement on the offset eccentrics. However, most of the mechanisms heretofore used have been complicated in design, expensive to manufacture, and diicult to install. Therefore, one of the primary objects of this invention is to provide an improved, simplified, and inexpensive nozzle height adjusting mechanism for vacuum cleaners.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle height adjustment mechanism that can be attached to and remove from a vacuum cleaner without complicated tools and with the least amount of effort.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum 2 cleaner embodying the mechanism of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom view showing means for mounting the front wheels of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View in elevation and partly in section, showing one end of the axle support;l the section being taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation and partly in section, showing the vacuum cleaner adjusted for operationen a rug of standard thickness, and showing the manner of applying one of the axle holding clips; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the vacuum cleaner adjusted for operation on a thick pile rug.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the invention is disclosed as comprising a vacuum cleaner having a lower casing shell I I and an upper casing shell I2, the shells being held together by a latch means not shown. The lower shell Il has a down-facing open mouth I3 through which a lower portion of a rotary brush I4 protrudes. The lower shell II also carries a rubber bumper IB and has a means, later to be described, for rotatably supporting a pair of front wheels I1I1. A combination motor and fan unit, indicated generally by the designation I9, is carried by the two casing shells II and I2, and a propelling and pick-up handle 2| is pivotally attached to the motor-fan unit I9 in a manner fully disclosed in my patent'l application Serial No. 784,167, led November 5, 1947. The motor-fan unit I9 has formed integral therewith a rearwardly extending exhaust duct 22, to the rear end of which a dust bag 23 is connected by any known means. The upper end of the dust bag 23 is supported from the handle 2I in a manner not shown. Bearing bosses 24, formed integral with the lowermost wall cf the duct 22 rotatably supports a pair of rear wheels 25.

The means for rotatably and adjustably supporting the front wheels I1I1 from the lower casing shell I I, comprises a pair of spaced bosses or blocks 21-21 formed on the under side of the lower shell II and extending inwardly toward one another. Each boss 21 has a horizontally extending and downwardly-facing engagement surface 28, and each boss 21 has a depending front lug 3l and a depending rear lug 32. When viewed from the side, or in other words transversally of the vacuum cleaner (Figs. 1 4 and 5), the lugs 3I-32 and the surface 28 Vportion 35 of the boss 21, denes a downwardly open pocket 34j. When Viewed from the rear of the vacuum cleaner, the lug 32, in combination with the body portion '35 defines a downwardly open pocket 341. The upper surfaces of each boss 21 is provided with an upfacing recess cr pocket 36.

A cylindrical axle 31 extends between ythe two bosses 21'-21, and both end portions 38 of this axle are slabbed so that the extreme ends of the axle portions 38 are semi-cylindrical. in form. These slabbed or semi-cylindrical ends 33 are disposed in the hereinbefore described pockets 33 and are located in such a mannerA that Veither the Vdiametrical portion or the Curved portion of the semi-cylindrical ends 38 can be made to enf gage the surfaces 28. The semi-cylindrical ends 38 'of the axle 31 are held against the respective engagement-surfaces 28 by a U-shaped spring vwire clip 39. 'having its upper leg il located in thepocket rIhe clip 39 is held in positionby and by having its lower leg 412 positioned in the pockets34y and 3M. The -end of each of the VV'legs '4I' and `42 is'bent into a hook 413 by vwhich the clips' are retained on the'boss'es 21. l

A central portion of the axle -31 has a radially extending handle 4'4 secured to it, as' by soldering. As seen in Fig. 2, this handle 44 Vis stamped with 'the' Word Thick and also with the desig-V nation std Ywhich is an abbreviationfor' me word Standard. These words refer tothe two types of carpets which are normally cleaned with the vacuum cleaner of vthis invention. The wheels l1-I1v are rotatably mounted toward opposite terminals of the axle 31, and are held against axial 'movement along the shaft by punchv ears zontal, theslope being inclined upwardly from the' rear of the cleaner. The upwardly sloping .top 48 serves two functions. In the first place, it provides means whereby the clip 39 canv be attached to the boss 2l. In the second place, the `'sloping top '48 helps to retain the clip on the boss once it has been 4installed thereon.

The nozzle `height adjusting mechanism lof this invention is applied tothe vacuum cleaner iin theV following manner. First washers i1-411 vand then whe'els 'I1-l1 are slipped upc-n opposite terminals of the axle 3l. Then, with the lower casing 'shell l Izinverted as `shownin Fig. 2, tl'ie Y `semi-cylindrical Vends 38-38 of the axle 31 are placed into the pockets 33--33 in such a manner that the ends Y38 rest upon the `engagement surfaces 'Z8-23. Then one of the springwire clips `'3Q- 39' isv slipped over each boss 21 so that the le'gv ll- 4l cfY theclips are in the pocket '3E-'3e andsothat'the legs 42--42 er the clipsare in the pockets .3M-3431: The nozzle height v'adjusting mechanism of this 'invention may be assembled with the shaft 31 and ends 35 in'ei'ther the Std or inthe Thick position. If during the' operaj tion ofthe vacuum cleaner, it becomes Adesirable to change the setting from Std to Thick for vice versa, this `change can be made by turning the vacuum cleaner upside dow-ligand, with'theV "finger flipping vthe handle t4 so that either Std "75. ing :said axle.

or Thick" is visible. When the abbreviation Std is seen (solid lines in Fig. 2), the diametrical surface of the semi-cylindrical ends 38 engages the surfaces 28 (Fig. 4), and when the cleaner is resting in cleaning position with the wheels |1-26 on a standard rug, the nozzle openj ing I3 will be positioned anjoptimum distance vlli above the surface of the rug. On the other hand, when the word Thick is seen (dotted portion of Fig. 2) the curved surface Vof the semi-cylindrical Vends 38 will engage the surfaces 28 (}5ig.'5)V and then when the cleaner wheelsV I1-26 rest on a thick rug, the nozzle opening I3 will be positioned an optimum distance above the surface Vof the thick pile rug. This is because the wheels 'l1 'will have sunk into the thick rug la sufficient amount toA lower the nozzle to the optimum distance above the rug.

The spring clips 39--33 perform two functions. In the first place, they hold the axle 31 to the bottom. of the cleaner, and in the second place, they retain'the nozzle height adjusting. mechanism `in either of its two adjusted positions. If the mechanism is adjusted for a standard rug, the clips prevent the-axle 31 from turning 'by holding the slabbed 'surfaces of the ends 33 .38 against the engagement surfaces 2B- 23. If' the mechanism is adjusted for a thick pile ruig, the

clips 39-39 engage the slabbed surfaces ofthe ends 33-3'8 Vand thus prevent the axle from turning.

I-f one of the clips 39 is to be installed on one of the bosses 21, one of the hooked' ends o'f the clip is placed against the inclined surface 48 (Fig. 4) and 'the other hooked end is placed against the outer surface of `the boss 21. The portion of the boss 21, which is bounded on one side bythe surface i8, acts as a wedge to'sepa- '--ra'tefthe-clipsuiiiciently `so that it will easily pass on to the boss 21.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:V Y

11. In a vacuum cleaner wheel attaching means comprising a pair of spaced horizontally extending bosses formed -on said vacuum cleaner, said bosses providing a set of upper surfaces and a set of 'lower surfaces, a 'wheel-supporting horizontal shaft having opposite ends adjacent said one'set'of saidboss surfaces, and a pairof UV justing mechanism, comprising; a pair ofspaced bosses each'having Aa pocket formed on its Vupper side and on its lower side, a sha-ft'extending between said spaced bosses, and a 'll-shaped spring clip for each of said bosses, said clip entering said pockets and holding said shaft to said bosses.

4. In `a vacuum cleaner, a nozzle height vadjustingv mechanism, comprising a pair of engagement surfaces formed on saidV vacuum cleaner, an axle, aY semi-cylindrical 4portieri on each end of said axles, a wheel rotatably carried on said axle, afpair of spring clips arranged to hold said semi-cylindrical ends -ofV said'shaft to said engagement surfaces, anda handle for tuin- 5. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing, a nozzle height adjusting mechanism, comprising, a pair of horizontally extending downwardly facing engagement surfaces formed on spaced portions of said casing, an axle having its opposite ends slabbed so as to be substantially semicylindrical in cross section, at least one wheel rotatably carried on said axle, a pair of U-shaped spring clips arranged to hold said semi-cylindrical ends of said shaft to said engagement surfaces, and a handle for turning said axle.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel support and nozzle height adjusting mechanism, comprising, a pair of spaced bosses formed on a lower portion of said vacuum cleaner, a horizontally extending downwardly facing engagement surface formed on each of said bosses, a pair of lugs formed on each of said bosses and extending downwardly from said engagement surface, an axle having its opposite ends slabbed so as to be substantially semi-cylindrical in cross section, a pair of Wheel rotatably carried on said axle, a radially positioned index arm secured to a central portion of said axle, and a pair of U-shaped spring clips arranged to hold said semi-cylindrical ends of said shaft to said engagement surfaces.

7. In a vacuum cleaner, a combination wheel support and nozzle height adjusting mechanism, comprising, a pair of spaced bosses having a pocket formed on the upper side of each of said bosses, and having a pocket formed on the lower side of each of said bosses, a shaft having its opposite ends slabbed and arranged to enter the pockets on the lower side of said bosses, a U- shaped spring clip entering the pockets on the upper side of said bosses and holding said slabbed ends of said shaft to said bosses, and Wheels rotatably carried on said shaft.

8. In a vacuum cleaner, a nozzle height adjusting mechanism, comprising a pair of spaced bosses having pockets formed on the lower side of each of said bosses, a surface sloping at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to the horizontal, and positioned to bound an upper boundary of at least one of said pockets, a shaft ,l

6 surfaces when being installed on said bosses and arranged to hold said shaft in position when fully clipped on said bosses.

9. In a vacuum cleaner, a Wheel support and nozzle height adjusting mechanism, comprising; a pair of spaced bosses having pockets formed on opposite sides of each of said bosses; a surface, sloping at an angle of approximately fortyfve degrees to the horizontal, and positioned to bound a portion of some of said pockets; a shaft extending between said` bosses; a U-shaped spring clip arranged to engage said sloping surface when said clip is being installed, said clip being arranged to hold said shaft in position when it is fully installed on said bosses; and Wheels rotatably carried on said axle.

10. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheel-supporting mechanism, comprising, a horizontally extending boss providing a rst surface and a second surface, a Wheel-supporting horizontal shaft having a portion adjacent said first surface, and a U-shaped spring clip providing a set of legs, one of said legs engaging said second surface, and the other` of said legs holding said portion of said shaft to said first surface.

11. In a vacuum cleaner, a Wheel-supporting mechanism, comprising, a horizontally extending boss providing a downfacing surface and an upfacing surface, a wheel-supporting horizontal shaft having a portion adjacent said downfacing surface, and a U-shaped spring clip providing a set of legs, one of said legs engaging said upfacing surface, and the other of said legs holding said portion of said shaft against said downfacing surface.

EDGAR P. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 729,881 Mathis June 2, 1903 1,965,787 Adams July 10, 1934 2,079,293 Kirby May 4, 1937 2,282,950 Dunbar May 12, 1942 

